1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for transporting printed products, comprising an endless circulating traction member on which receiving means are fastened at regular spacings which are configured for picking up and subsequently releasing the supplied printed products.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such devices are known, inter alia, as cycled transporting devices in the printed product processing industry and transport individual printed products from a printing machine via several processing stations to the shipping area. This arrangement has a traction member formed by a guided chain on which, at regulars spacings, clamp-like grippers are fastened which, in the open position, pick up printed products at a supply station by closing the grippers and transport the printed products to a processing station arranged downstream where the printed products are released for removal by opening the grippers.
These known devices convey the printed product in a suspended state into a cycled rotating compartment wheel which inserts the printed products, for example, into pockets of an insertion machine. European patent 0 380 921 B1 describes such a device for loading an insertion machine with printed products.
These known devices lack precision and reliability, in particular, when a relatively high processing speed is to be employed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which is of a simple configuration and with which the printed products can be supplied in a precise fashion with a relatively high processing speed.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that the receiving means comprise rollers cooperating in pairs and forming with their circumference a conveying gap, wherein the rollers are drivably supported with one end on axles arranged perpendicularly to the conveying direction on a support frame connected to the traction member.
A simple configuration can be achieved when at least one roller of a roller pair can be connected with a drive member.
For a direct utilization of the device according to the invention, it is advantageous when along the traction member at least one supply station for feeding printed products to the receiving means and at least one dispensing station for transferring the printed products to further processing station(s) are provided, when the supply and dispensing stations are in the form of drive members.
Preferably, the drive members are formed as stationary control curves or driven control means which realize an exact processing.
Expediently, for avoiding an inexact pick-up and dispensing of the printed products, the length of a stationary control curve is less than a division (spacing) between two receiving means fastened on the traction member.
When the printed products are pushed out of the receiving means in a direction opposite to the direction of the receiving action, an arrangement of the control curves such that the latter are staggered alternating on opposite sides along the traction member is particularly suitable.
A simple and proven configuration is provided when the roller pairs are in driving connection by means of gear wheels so that only one roller of the roller pair is driven by a drive member in the circulating direction.
In this connection, it is favorable when the roller driven by the drive member is provided on its circumference with a drive bead, wherein the rotational speed of the roller can be affected by changing the drive bead diameter.
For removing individual printed products from the sequentially arranged receiving means or for a regular partial removal of printed products, it is advantageous when the drive members correlated with the rollers to be driven are configured to be switched on as needed.
When the printed products to be received are relatively large, it may be necessary to provide a longer pick-up stretch so that the length of a stationary control curve should be greater than a division (spacing) between the receiving means.
When a longer pick-up stretch is required, it is advantageous when one supply station or dispensing station has two neighboring control curves having correlated therewith a drive bead of a roller to be driven of two sequentially arranged receiving means, respectively.